OUR VISION
The Brotherhood of Harmony will strive to be a world-class performing arts organization that entertains audiences and spreads the spirit and vision of our society through a shared experience of musical excellence.
OUR MISSION
To accomplish this vision the Brotherhood of Harmony will:
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Enrich the lives of everyone we touch through a cappella singing,
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Educate following generations on the tradition and enjoyment of a cappella singing,
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Preserve the musical tradition of past generations and engender an appreciation for its style and history,
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Serve our community through the variety of activities that a cappella harmony provides,
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Serve our nation by bonding our diverse population through the pure joy that a cappella harmony brings.
ABOUT THE BROTHERHOOD
The Brotherhood of Harmony chorus is an a cappella men’s chorus of the Lake Country Chapter in the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). The BHS is an organization, based in Nashville, with more than 25,000 members and affiliate members all over the world.
Based in Palatine, IL, the chorus has 26 loyal members. The chorus grew by six members within the past year and has a goal of growing by 10 new members this year.
Rehearsals, led by director Brian Cromer, are upbeat, positive, and organized with a goal of improving our musicianship.
The chorus loves to perform for various audiences. We sing for the parishioners of DeerGrove Covenant Church (where we rehearse), and the residents of Friendship Village twice per year. We have fun in February surprising folks with Singing Valentines. We present an annual Christmas show for enthusiastic audiences. We sing at ball games and benefits and charity runs.
An annual Ready, Set, Sing! program is offered each spring to residents in area communities who wish to improve their singing over a six-week period.
If you love to sing and perform, if you wish to join a fun group of men, we encourage you to visit the Brotherhood of Harmony chorus, any Thursday evening from 7:30 – 10 pm.
OUR HISTORY
The Lake County Chapter was chartered in 1997 with its chorus called the Great American Chorus. Under the direction of Dr. Greg Lyne, the chorus placed twice in the top five internationally. Dr. Lyne had directed two previous International championship choruses, the West Towns Chorus and the Masters of Harmony.
In 2000, the chorus was invited to perform in St. Petersburg, Russia, where it sang in some of the world’s most beautiful, historic concert halls. Between performances and rehearsals, the chorus taught Master classes for singers who came from all over Russia for this week-long festival.
In time, the chorus changed its name to the Brotherhood of Harmony chorus and moved its rehearsal location from Gurnee to Schaumburg and then to Palatine. When Dr. Lyne moved to California, Todd Wilson, tenor of past International quartet champion, Accoustix, was selected as director from 2002 to 2007, when he moved to Nashville.
A strong quartet singer, Matt MacFadyen, was then chosen to lead the Brotherhood until 2016 when Brian Cromer was selected as the Brotherhood’s director.